


Useful

by Elfdragon12



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: F/M, Helbindi is a tsundere with a poor sense of self-worth, Hopefully not just a one-shot, I love Helbindi, No name specified though, So this fic got indulgent and self-inserty, just a couple of vague descriptors, life’s too short to worry about cringe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2020-10-14 18:26:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20605313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elfdragon12/pseuds/Elfdragon12
Summary: While the summoner was smart, no one would call her preferred tactic of “run in and beat the enemy into submission” a clever plan.Helbindi was all for it though.





	1. Shared Meals

As she had thought, Helbindi was a force of nature on the battlefield. Like a fierce and loyal dog, he didn’t question orders and was more than ready to go with her favorite battle plan–bashing straight through the enemy. (Robin was still trying to break her out of that habit.) He became a common fixture in her plans. 

Away from the fighting, however, he was far more withdrawn. He didn’t set out to talk to anyone and tended to snarl at those who tried to talk to him. He wasn’t particularly charming and had a foul mouth. Back home, he wasn’t a guy she would have chosen to approach. After all, she was cheerful, bright, and soft.

She wasn’t back home though.

It helped that she knew that the prickly persona wasn’t all there was to him. Sure, he wasn’t quite the same Helbindi as the one she had faced, but she hadn’t forgotten the way he pulled her aside in the first couple days after his summoning and asked about Ylgr. He wasn’t the same, but he wasn’t so different either.

Also, if she was completely honest with herself, she liked looking at him. There were more than a few attractive men among the heroes she had summoned, but not so many had the same stature as a brick house and showed as much of it off.

For all the ways they were different, there was really only one thing that she hated about him.

“Come to join the filth once again, I see.”

“Huh?” She stared at him for a second before taking a dramatic look around. If it wasn’t for the book under her arm and the full bowl of food, she would have thrown some hand gestures in, too. The long tail of brown hair she’s been meaning to get cut for ages made a fine substitute. “Really? Did I summon an invisible Surtr? Because I only see you here.”

Helbindi huffed and looked away.

She took that as permission to take the seat across from him.

He kept quiet as she opened the book to where she had left off and continued on as she read. Robin loaned it after their latest meeting. He said it should be a great help with her strategy. However, as she flipped the pages and ate from her meal, she was discovering a problem.

There were too many details and not enough diagrams.

As she tried to read, the details got muddled together. Who should go where and in reaction to what opponent scrambled together until her brain felt like an omelette. Her lips pursed as she stared at the word without a single one soaking in.

“What? Bug in your food or something?”

“Huh? Oh!” She snapped up from her book. Her eyes turned to her tablemate. One eyebrow rose as he stared. With a thump, she closed the book. “No, I just don’t like this book.”

Helbindi grunted in response. “What’s wrong with it?”

She frowned. “There are barely any diagrams in it,” she explained, “it keeps describing tactics, positions, strategy, and all that, but it’s hard to see it in my head. I’m going to have to draw it out or something.”

“Why?”

“Huh?”

“Why bother with it if it won’t teach you crap?”

A sigh cleared out the air from her lungs. “Robin loaned it to me. I can’t just give it back without figuring it out. I’m sure if I could see it then I could figure it out.”

He pushed his empty bowl away. “Not that you need it. We do just fine without it.”

“I mean,” she laughed, “I mostly point you in a direction I think you’ll do the most damage and say charge. There are better ways to do it,” she said, “especially if we can avoid you getting hurt.”

“Hah!” Helbindi scoffed. “All I’m good for is my strength and to keep getting back up. You shouldn’t be worried about someone like me getting hurt. If I die, there plenty of other meatshields that can take my place.”

“Helbindi!”

His lips drew back in snarl. “It’s true! Name one other thing I’m good for!”

Thoughts sent stumbling, she stammered as she scrambled for an answer. “Hey, you’re good for helping me when I just want to read. People leave me alone for a while when I’m sitting with you,” she suggested. “And there was when went into town and you got that guy hitting on me to leave me alone! Maybe someone else could do that too, but you’re the one that’s always there for me . And you’re making readjustments for me on the battlefield and you help me keep the others in line because we all know how well they follow directions.”

For a good minute, all Helbindi could do was stare.

She could feel her face burning after letting all those words tumble out of her mouth. Especially after she actually said he was always there for her.

He turned away. His face was dark. “You’re not careful enough,” he grumbled, “how am I supposed to leave you alone? Idiot.”

There was something more in those words and she had an idea what it was. Her cheeks burned so bright, she could feel it in the tips of her ears.

He didn’t say anything as he shot up from his seat. A beat of silence passed. “I’m done with my food,” he said without looking back at her.

“I, uh, I’m gonna finish and try to read. So, um, yeah.”

All she could do as he walked away, stiffer than Frederick’s spine, was stare and wonder to herself, ‘what just happened?’


	2. Incidents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helbindi isn't the only one who struggles with their place. The summoner is just better at distraction.
> 
> (Mention of some fin-gore. Not explicit though.)

“Will the agony never end?”

“Stop getting hit and yeah.”

“But Gunter’s had weapons training for years,” she whined, “I did fencing lessons for, like, a winter. He doesn’t even hold back at all, Helbindi!”

With a scoff, Helbindi crossed his arms. “No one else will. Deal with it.”

She hummed. A flex of her arm and a wince forced her to purse her lips. “I wish these sleeves weren’t so long,” she said, fiddling with the fold creased in her elbow, “I want to check for welts, but I can’t in this shirt. Also, if it bruises, I want to be able to show it off.”

His eyebrows furrowed together. “Why would you want to do that?”

“If I get hurt, I want something to show for it,” she explained. She reached back to pull out her hair tie. Her long hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back, even falling into her face. “It’s more fun that way,” she continued as she fluffed out her mane, “makes a little story. Like the scar I got from when I chopped off a chunk of my thumb.”

For a moment, Helbindi was distracted by the movement of her hair.

Then the weight of her offhand statement sunk in.

“What.”

A grin stretched across her face as she set about tying her hair back up. “Yeah, that was a thing that happened. I was slicing potatoes for my sister while she ran out for an errand. I was using a special tool and doing alright. And then shink! I’m picking up a good-sized chunk of my thumb off of the cutting board.” She held out the appendage for her companion to see the pale scar.

Rather than looking at the scar, Helbindi chose to stare at her.

“That’s it.”

“Huh?”

“We’re gonna find you a new weapon before you chop your hand off.”

She squawked. “I’m not that bad! I was just being stupid with the potatoes! I swear I don’t do stupid things like that with swords!”

Helbindi watched her for a moment. His eyes narrowed.

“I promise,” she said, clapping her hands together in front of her chest.

Grunting, he looked away. He wondered if she had any idea what that pose did to her chest. Whether or not she had, he kept his eyes firmly away from her hands.

“Honestly, the most careless I am with a sword is when I’m not even actively using it—like accidentally whacking it on a doorframe while it’s on my hip or something.” She paused and looked at the palm of her opposite hand. A sheepish smile tugged at her lips. “You, uh, probably don’t want to hear about some of the other, um, incidents I’ve had, I’m guessing.

The temptation to ask was strong, but something else was stronger.

Frustration.

Helbindi grumbled curses. He could feel a headache forming. “How the Hell do you do that to yourself?”

She laughed, her cheeks turning pinker than usual. “My mind is always off in another direction and, sometimes, I get too excited and get ahead of myself,” she explained, fiddling with her ponytail. Her eyes shot down before looking back up. “Don’t actually ask Gunter to change my training or anything like that. I appreciate that he’s teaching me and I enjoy it. Even if he is ruthless.” She added the last part with a smile.

At the sight of her cheeks dimpling, Helbindi averted his eyes. His cheeks burned. A whole list of curses ran through his mind. “You’re the summoner.” He changed gears. “Why do you need to train with a sword anyway?”

“Because I want to. That and—” She cut herself off. Whatever words she’d been intending to say weren’t coming easily. “Breidablik isn’t a weapon. It summons heroes, has some healing capabilities, and a couple other things I haven’t figured out yet. If someone attacked me, I can’t do anything about it. If I learn how to actually fight, I would be safer.”

A frown came unbidden to his face. “What? Don’t trust me to kill all your enemies for you?”

“No!” It was almost comical how wide her eyes popped. “I just—I just feel kind of useless out there. I figured that it would be better if I could fight, so you and the others wouldn’t need to worry about me.”

“Idiot,” he grumbled. “You’re a tactician and the summoner. You’re just about the most important person here. If we fail to protect you, that means we’re worse than useless. If you’re in danger, you need to call me.”

Her cheeks flushed and her gaze dropped to the floor. She peeked up at him. “Still though,” she said, “I always wanted to learn, so yeah. Gunter is a good teacher and, while I’m happy that you’d protect me, maybe eventually you won’t have to worry about me so much.”

Looking down at her hand, Helbindi couldn’t stop a toothy smirk. “After that story about your thumb? Not likely.”

“Hey!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thumb thing is 100% based on a true story.


	3. Ease

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A drowsy afternoon leads Helbindi and the summoner to an idyllic spot.

It was the middle of the afternoon and there was nothing more that the entirety of Askr wanted than a nap. Even the bugs buzzed heavier and their erratic movements sluggish. The bright sky with warm rays from the sun and fluffy clouds were enough to cure anyone of their desire to work.

She felt the pull of sleep herself. How could she not? She was only human after all.

However, she could not succumb. When else was she going to finally read that book of fables Sharena recommended to her? They were on the march so often. Reading for pleasure was near impossible when on the march.

She’s tried.

Her eyes crossed and uncrossed as she felt the beckoning call of sleep. Like a cat’s toy, her head bobbed as she fought off the call.

“Guh! Okay!” She slapped her face with a light tap and stood up. With the book set under her arm, she left the library. A change of scenery was sure to keep her awake! When was the last time she just enjoyed nature anyway?

She weaved through the halls and all those that wandered through them. Many looked just as drowsy as she did.

“Where are you going?” A familiar voice called out when she had almost reached the door.

“Huh?” She looked back. “Oh! Helbindi!”

The nice weather seemed to have affected the ax user as well. His heavy gear was left behind, leaving his torso bare.

Well, she was certainly feeling much more awake than she had been a couple of minutes ago.

“Just going to go read,” she explained. She held up the book for him to see. “I needed to get out of the library for a little while.”

One pale eyebrow rose on Helbindi’s dark forehead. “Outside?”

She smiled. “It’s a really nice day and I like reading outside when I can.” The book got tucked back under arm. She paused before leaning forward. “Where are you going?”

He folded his arms and she tried so hard not to stare at his biceps. “I needed to check things out. The air is too stifling in here.”

Her heart thumped heavy in her ribcage. “Do you want to come with me?” The words were slow coming out of her mouth. She was pretty sure her ears were visibly on fire. “I didn’t have an exact plan in mind, but there’s a little pond with a tree in the courtyard. It’s very picturesque.” With a smile, she continued. “Besides, you never know what trouble I can get myself into.”

“Fine.” The word rushed out of Helbindi’s mouth. He cleared his throat. “Fine. Just lead the way.”

“Okay,” was all she said, however, her brain was firing all cylinders. Was smoke coming out of her ears? Could he tell? Was she being too obvious? Was she being stupid? Was she reading too much into things? Why did she invite him? She never made a suggestion herself! With all of these thoughts and questions exploding in her mind, the walk felt mechanical.

“Isn’t this the way to the stables?”

Or not so much.

Another few minutes retracing their stops and going the right direction led them to the pond and tree she had told him about.

“There we go!” She gave a little cheer. “What do you think? A pretty little scene, right?” 

There was a pause before Helbindi spoke. “Yeah.” The word sounded rough, even in his voice.

She glanced back to see his eyes focused elsewhere. Her lips turned down in confusion before she turned back to the pond. “Take a seat,” she invited, claiming her own seat under the tree’s patchy shade.

He didn’t say anything before leaning against the tree. It must have felt rough against his bare skin, but she wasn’t going to say anything.

Time passed quietly under the tree. Now and then, a Hero would pass and she would glance up to give them a wave of acknowledgement. It was much more frequent that she would switch reading positions. She would start off sitting by the water then she would lay on her back. After the book fell from her hands and hit her in the face, she rolled over to read on her belly. Helbindi finally grumbled for her to pick a spot and stick with it after she sat back up.

Her position of choice? Leaning against the tree next to him.

All was well, even if his shirtless muscles were distracting. It was nice.

She hummed and closed her eyes. If these kinds of days could stretch on forever, she wouldn’t mind it.

A little thump forced her eyes open. Oh, her book had fallen. She lost her place. Then her brain caught up with her. She had fallen asleep. 

And she was currently using Helbindi’s arm as a pillow.

As slow and deliberate as she could, she turned her head up. Maybe she could play it off. However, she looked up to see him watching her. Her face burned as her mind realized what that look was. 

Realizing he’d been caught, he turned away and his jaw clenched.

She cleared her throat. The moment was there and it had passed. She grabbed the book.

“You shouldn’t let your guard down like that,” he warned her, “I may be working with you, but I still belong in the trash heap.”

Something grabbed her heart and squeezed. How could he say that after the way he looked at her? What could she do?

“Would you say I’m pretty smart, Helbindi?”

He was silent for a moment. “Most of the time,” he said, “smarter than me usually.”

“How about the way I see people?”

More hesitation. “Naïve, but you catch on.”

Not exactly the answers she would have liked to hear, but he was honest in his views.

She bit her lip. “Do you think I would lie to you?”

“You’re one of the worst liars I’ve ever met,” he scoffed.

“So,” she said as her heart thumped in her chest, “if I told you that I like you and thought that, even if you’ve done bad things in the past, it doesn’t make you a bad person… Would you believe I’m telling the truth?”

His jaw clenched. He refused to look at her.

“Helbindi?”

More silence.

“Yes,” he finally spoke. “But I don’t deserve it.”

“I think a sign of a good person,” she said, “is when you recognize that you’ve done wrong and feel ashamed of it. Helbindi—” She took a breath. “You might not be able to really make up for what you’ve done—dead people can’t be resurrected—but you can move past it. Avoid repeating those mistakes and putting a stop to others is one way to do it. You’re not alone either. Ylgr believes in you.” A slow breath out and she placed a hand on his arm. “I believe in you, too.”

Once more, he wouldn’t look at her. He did not, however, move away from her touch.

It was probably best not to push too hard. She grabbed her book and stood up. After brushing off her clothes, she gave him one last look. “Please just think about it.”

She walked away.

“Hey.”

Stopping, she looked back.

He still wasn’t looking at her, but his profile seemed softer. “Thanks.”

A bright smile overtook her face. Hope eased her beating heart. “Any time, Helbindi. I mean it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was meant to just be another cutesy chapter. And then my brain went "well, now's a perfect time to get to that heavy conversation they need to have"! Darn treacherous brain!


	4. Just a Look

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Traveling with Clive and Mathilda gets really awkward and reminds Helbindi of feelings he was trying to avoid.

Helbindi wasn’t sure that he’d be able to look her in the face for the next week after this.

Granted, he wasn’t sure the last time he could look her in the face for long anyway. He would look at her often enough in spite of himself, but turned away the moment it seemed she was about to look.

Listening to their cavalry—Clive and Mathilda, he was pretty their names were—gush at each other about how much they loved each other, how beautiful the other was, how amazing they were, and whatever other compliments popped into their heads made the travel back to the camp much more awkward and uncomfortable than he was prepared for. Sure, they had pulled away, but the couple was not especially quiet. It was impossible to not overhear them.

And each time they gushed at each other, Helbindi looked over at her and his heart squeezed.

She was not like Mathilda. She was not a great warrior. She didn’t ride into battle like a valiant Valkyrie. She wasn’t regal or graceful. She wasn’t nobility. However… Her face lit up like a beacon when she was excited. Her laugh was loud and free. She was soft. Her expressions were honest. She could laugh at herself. She was warm. Even though it was obvious that this kind of role was something she wasn’t used to and she was unsure, she tried.

And, somehow, she saw some good in him. Somehow, she thought he was useful for something other than bloodshed.

He glanced over at her again.

Only to meet her eyes.

Her cheeks burned a bright red as she looked away. A little giggle bubbled from her lips.

Unable to summon any words, he grunted.

“While it’s nice to have a team that’s not arguing all the time, I’m actually not sure how much better this is,” she explained. “While Saizo constantly ditching us to hide in the trees is kind of annoying, it’s not the worst thing.” She jerked her head towards the couple. “Clearly.”

His lips twitched as he fought off a smirk.

Those warm eyes focused on the horses ahead of them. “It’s nice to see a couple that loves each other so much though.”

A frown pulled at his face. One thing that he had told himself was that she must have had someone waiting for her in her own world. But there was something odd in her voice there. It wasn’t his business, but, maybe if he found out for sure, he could stomp out that tight feeling in his chest once and for all. “Is there,” his words were slow and hesitant, “someone that you’ve left behind in your world?”

“Oh!” She blinked, her eyes looking at him now. “Um, just family. There were a couple of relationships in the past, but those only last a few months.”

Before he could catch himself, there was a warm surge in his chest. “Why?” The question jumped out of his mouth.

She shrugged. “I guess I just-” Her lips closed in a tight line. One hand reached up to sweep her ponytail to the other side. “I’ve always been more of a homebody,” she admitted. The ponytail was pushed back. “And I guess I-” Her words cut off. Those eyes looked to him before looking away again. A twist in her eyebrows made him regret letting the question slip. “I didn’t feel fast enough for them. I, ah, I wondered if there was something wrong with me that I couldn’t feel something for men who, on paper, were perfect matches for me. We liked similar things and shared hobbies, but… I don’t think that was it.”

Helbindi was quiet as he let her talk.

“Because-” She stopped walking. Those eyes focused on him. “Because I feel something for you.”

All thoughts in his mind stopped working. His breath caught in his lungs. Feet stuck in place, he could only stare at her.

“S-sure, we’re pretty different and I, um, I don’t know if it’s love just yet,” words just kept tumbling out of her mouth as her eyes dropped to the ground, “but, um, yeah. I, ah, I don’t know if you, um, have any feelings for me. I mean, if you don’t, I’m okay just going on or if you’d rather work for Robin or someone else, I understand. So, um, yeah.”

Everything hit him at once. In the mess of emotions and thoughts, the one he could pick out the most was how she shouldn’t be wasting her feelings on him. There were plenty of heroes who were better people than he was.

But-

But she was laying her feelings out bare for him. Not someone else. Just him.

“Helbindi?” Those eyes were looking at him, glossy with tears.

His heart was thumping too hard for his ribcage as he stepped forward. The distance between them closed.

She blinked. Her neck craned up to look at him.

“Don’t-” He cut himself off. Blood burned in his cheeks as his brow furrowed. Even though they were so close, he couldn’t bring himself to look at her. Not just yet. “Just don’t expect me to act like they do.”

There was a moment of confusion. A blink. Then a bright smile stretched on her face and she laughed. “I would probably explode from embarrassment if you did,” she admitted. “So, um, does this mean you also-”

His hands on her face stopped her. Words were not Helbindi’s strong suit. His actions were his strength, so he closed the space between them.

He sealed their lips with a kiss.

There was no angelic chorus. The world didn’t melt away so only they two would exist. However, as her surprise slipped away and she tilted her face to better fit to his, tension drained away from his shoulders. As her soft body leaned into his and her hands reached up to brush his ribs, his skin burned.

As their lips parted and her nose brushed against his, he wanted more.

“Yeah,” his voice rumbled, dry and rough, “yeah, I do.”

As her face split in a wide grin, he couldn’t look away.

For once, that didn’t seem so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ey~, confession time! And a kiss!


End file.
